In the 2023-24 season, the Brooklyn Nets have had to find a new identity. The team no longer has the star talent they had over the past few seasons. Brooklyn now has several unsung heroes who make a big impact each night. One of those players is Cam Thomas who has primarily been a bench player for the Nets in the past.
However, Thomas shined early on in the season and head coach Jacque Vaughn had no choice but to start the 22-year-old. An ankle injury has limited him to just eight games played this season. Despite that, Thomas was averaging (26.9) points in his eight games for the Nets this season. Luckily for Brooklyn, Thomas is expected to return on Thursday night vs. the Hornets after missing the last nine games in a row.
Cam Thomas should bring a huge boost back to Brooklyn’s starting five
A reminder of what Cam Thomas was producing before his ankle injury:
26.9 PTS
47.9 FG%
32.1 3P%
53 eFG%
5.9 FTA
85.1 FT%
3.8 REB
2.1 AST
0.9 STL
pic.twitter.com/0LlnipHkgh— Jac Manuell (CT Obsessed) (@JacManuell) November 30, 2023
Over his first two seasons with the Nets, Cam Thomas averaged just (9.5) points in (17.1) minutes per game. He was primarily used off the bench, making only six starts. However, that completely changed this season and Thomas has stepped up into a much bigger role for Brooklyn. Before the injury, he was leading the team with (26.9) points per game. He had four games with 30+ points in his first eight games of the season.
Thomas’ injury sidelined him for nine straight games, but there’s a strong chance he returns tonight vs. the Hornets. Last season, Thomas averaged (8.0) field goal attempts per game. In 2023-24, that number is up to (20.6) points. Additionally, his minutes per game increased to (32.4) this season and he’s thriving as Brooklyn’s primary scorer. He had shown flashes of that potential in the past and took the most of his opportunity to begin the season.
Starting lineup tonight should be:
PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
SG: Cam Thomas
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Cam Johnson
C: Nic Claxton— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) November 30, 2023
To start the 2023-24 season, Thomas had three straight games with 30+ points. He’s the second-youngest player behind Shaquille O’Neal to accomplish that feat. Elite company for Thomas to be in. While he was out. Mikal Bridges was the only other Net to average 20+ points per game. Brooklyn will hope to get the same kind of production from Thomas tonight that they had before his injury.
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